Baton Twirling, what are the benefits for young girls?


First some facts about youth sports in general.
The benefits of youth sports are

• physical
• personal
• social.

Physical Fitness

As little as four hours of exercise a week may reduce a teenage girl's risk of breast cancer by up to 60%; breast cancer is a disease that afflicts one out of every eight American women. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1994)

Kids who play sports develop general physical fitness in a way that's fun, and they establish lifelong habits for good health. This is particularly important at a time when obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions: the incidence of obesity has increased by more than 50 percent among America's children and teens since 1976 and continues to grow at a staggering rate!


40% of women over the age of 50 suffers from osteoporosis (brittle bones). (Osteoporosis, 1996) regular exercise at a young age serves to increase bone mass and strength.   

Stress Relief


Increases your sense of mastery which can help for people who don't feel in control of their lives and moods

Increases self-esteem

Provides a distraction from your worries Improves your health and body, which can help lift your mood Helps you get rid of built-up stress and frustration Helps you sleep better, which can often be a problem when you're depressed



These facts come from the cdc or the Center for Disease control


Sports and physical activity are positive activities for todays youth. They can give adolescent women the very benefits they perceive in smoking: independence, status with their peers, a chance to make friends, relaxation, weight management, and a more positive sense of self. (Edwards P, 1995)

Girls who play sports have higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of depression than girls who do not play sports. (Edwards P, 1995)

Girls who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological well being than girls and women who do not play sports. (Edwards P, 1995)

Girls who play sports learn about teamwork, goal-setting, the experience of success, the pursuit of excellence in performance, how to deal with failures, and other positive behaviors -- all of which are important skills for the workplace and life. (Edwards P, 1995)

Personal

Academic

Sports are an educational asset in girls’ lives. Research findings show that many high-school female athletes report higher grades and standardized test scores and lower dropout rates, and are more likely to go on to college than their nonathletic counterparts.

TWIRLING MAKES YOU SMARTER

Twirling is good for your brain.

Why is that?

Because Baton Twirling is an ambidextrous sport.


When you participate in ambidextrous sports it stimulates growth of the corpus callosum.
A thicker corpus collusum enhances the ability to multitask  
Corpus callosum= connection between left and right brain halves

Ambidextrous activities along with the added physiological brain growth create more balanced integration of your 2 brain hemispheres. Studies have shown that ambidextrous people are more emotionally independent, more determined, more adaptable to new situations and more apt to handle problems without giving up.